


Destined Dream

by thatsmia



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Depression, Dreaming, Dreams, F/M, Get ready for angst, I'll add the nsfw tags when I actually write the smut, Love, Mystic Messenger - Freeform, NSFW, Nsfw will happen, Past Relationship(s), Real world, Realistic, Self-Love, Singing, Zen | Hyun Ryu's Route, but I changed the audience so people know it'll eventually end up there hehehe, self-hate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-09-28 15:56:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10130729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsmia/pseuds/thatsmia
Summary: Mia Cee loves playing otome games. It just so happens that she's currently obsessed with Mystic Messenger. She keeps seeing her favorite character, Zen, in her dreams. What'll happen when he appears before her asking if she's MC? This fanfic is one of learning to live, love, and find yourself.





	1. MC?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to do this new fanfic! Zen is my absolute favorite character and I got this idea the other day when thinking about how all my boyfriend expectations just shot through the roof after his route. Some of the descriptions and events the characters talk about is based on real life things that may or may not have happened to me and/or the people around me. Her name is Mia (like me!) and actually my real first and last initials are M and C but Cee isn't my real last name. I thought it would be a cool twist to have the main character of this fanfic literally be MC because of her initials and not the fictional character within the game. Hope you guys enjoy and I'll try to update this as often as I can with my other two fanfics. Check those out if you're interested or if you're a Miraculous and/or Uta no Prince Sama fan! :)

The strangest things happen in dreams. A person could be floating on air or become the leader of an alien colony on Mars. Cats could speak any language or things that happened in dreams could happen in real life.  _ Prophetic dreams…..or so they were called. _

 

Those were what her favorite character had. He was tall, extremely handsome, talented, and a little risque when it came to love. His name was Zen and he was a character in a dating sim app. To think of someone so perfect was natural, especially for a single, lonely, plain girl like MC. Who was MC? MC was the “main character” of the game. The fandom usually labeled the character as such to differentiate between the reader and “MC” in fanfiction, fanart, headcanons, you name it. But  _ her _ name was also, MC. Or well,  _ her initials _ were also MC. Mia Cee was just a single, lonely, plain girl who was  _ not  _ the main character in a dating sim. She was a real life person who played dating sims because she wasn’t confident in herself to actually go up and meet people to possibly date. These kinds of games were made for people like her. It was like an assortment of chocolate, you could pick which one you liked best and seemingly eat those specific ones forever. In  _ Mystic Messenger  _ her favorite character was the ever-romantic Zen. She played the game multiple times, each time a different character route because one: she felt obligated to, especially because she liked playing games multiple times and two: she  _ did _ have soft spots for the other characters, especially Yoosung and Jumin. But every time she wanted to replay old conversations? She’d load up her old Zen game and watch as MC and Zen fell in love. Over and over again. Or she’d shovel out what money she had to purchase hourglasses, the tools the player needed to unlock new conversations within the game. Zen was perfect. He seemed the most realistic. However, he was a fictional character she could never actually meet. It pained her slightly. She needed a reality check.  _ Of course a fictional character can’t really exist. That’s all dreams and fanfiction.  _ She told herself. But she found comfort in knowing that some version of her (MC was technically an insert for any player) found love with someone so perfect, someone so wonderful. It wasn’t like she  _ didn’t  _ try meeting people or  _ didn’t _ try to find a boyfriend. She used real dating apps that real people used but never matched up with anyone she liked enough. Her romantic past was small and pathetic and sometimes she thought it was downright sad. 

 

Having thought those things, Mia felt she was never in any position to really comment on dating or relationships in real life. Otome games? Reverse harem anime? THOSE were things she was an expert on. If life were like those types of things, she’d be the MC for every single genre. In her head these kinds of thoughts were normal but if she ever spouted them out loud she’d probably melt into a puddle of nothingness. When she played  _ Mystic Messenger _ she felt wanted. It wasn’t a regular otome game.  _ It was an experience. _ An experience she always wanted to replay. Living alone didn’t help her real life either. As a college student in her  _ fifth year _ she felt pathetic enough to not bring a roommate into her pity party. She was going to graduate...just when she was done on her own terms and at her own pace. The pressure of getting a degree and finding a job had subsided slightly because of how long she’d been in school. It wasn’t uncommon to see someone her age still taking classes and not graduating within four years. She had to remind herself that at least in her academic life, she was doing okay. 

 

So the prophetic dreams…? She did have those occasionally. Those were real for her. It was interesting finding out her favorite character had that same characteristic as she did which is what made him seem more real to her than the others. The dream she was currently having though? That couldn’t possibly be one. 

 

_ In her dream, Mia was sitting on her sofa, doing homework. A voice she swore she had never heard before but still sounded so familiar was in her ear.  _

 

_ “What are you working on, babe?”  _

 

_ “Homework. And you’re calling me babe now?” _

 

_ “I felt it was just right, y’know? Don’t tell me to stop because I’ll just continue to do so.”  _

 

_ Then, the voice was sitting next to her.  _

 

_ “Do you need any help? I don’t really know how great I’ll be but if you’re writing something and want to read it aloud so I can tell you if it sounds good I’d be happy to do it.”  _

 

_ “That’s really okay, Zen- _

 

_ Wait. Zen? Zen was in her dream? It must be from replaying his route lately. This kind of dream happens often. Fictional characters always pop up in our dreams….  _

 

When she woke up she felt a little strange. That was the first time Zen had been in a dream of hers. Why it hadn’t happened before was beyond her, considering how often she played the game. Dreams were so prominent in his route and the others. His prophetic dreams predicted things that happened later on in the different routes of the game. She remembered something he had said in the game….

 

_ “Let’s meet in the world of dreams….” _

 

….or something like that. It didn’t matter. No matter how badly she wanted a person like that to exist, it wasn’t possible. Not in her life, at least. For her, today was going to be a normal day, a normal evening, and a it would lead to a normal weekend. The same routine: Class, homework, part-time job, possible interaction with friends, and sleep. 

 

Walking to class became so routine, Mia could do it in her sleep. From the look of her, no one could tell she had a lot of energy. At least that’s what she thought others thought about her. Physically, she was nowhere near skinny or even chubby in her mind. She had a belly and fat rolls. She felt it was so prominent she hid it underneath large shirts, draping cover-ups, and restricted half of it within her jeans. Years of hiding it gave her stretch marks you’d more likely find on a woman who had been pregnant before. It was the worst part of her, she thought.  _ No one would want to touch her if they saw. _ She wasn’t muscular and her slight double chin gave her anxiety. She also had bad acne during puberty and in high school. It was better now that she was a young adult, but she always felt like every other girl that walked past her was more desirable in comparison. She wore glasses that she at least thought accentuated her big dark brown eyes. Her hair was always a mess. Being a brunette suited her she guessed. She rarely wore makeup, but she could at least hide behind a “flawless face” when she wasn’t feeling lazy.

 

Mia thought about all of this as she walked to campus every day. She lived in a shitty apartment near school so at least she didn’t have to bum rides from friends or take the bus. As she walked down the street every morning, she tried to distract herself with music or reading. Today she was replaying Zen’s route in the game and got to one of her favorite interactions: The cat meow call. She giggled to herself as Zen’s meows filled her headphones. She was inching closer and closer to the curb. There was a stop sign for the cars to halt at the intersection she was about to cross, but the car that almost barreled down the street was having none of it. The road was small and seemed like it would only allow one car for either side of the street. She stepped off the curb, not paying attention when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the path of the speeding car. 

 

She was pulled back furiously and almost lost her balance. She quickly paused the game and ripped her headphones out of her ears. She turned to face the person who pulled her out of the way and came face to helmet with someone who was a bit taller than her and wore all black. This person looked so familiar. But where had she seen them before? There were never people riding motorcycles down this street, at least none that she had ever noticed. She looked over at the person again, noticing a long tail of hair perched over the person’s shoulder. Her brows furrowed and she had to blink a few times. The person, a man, removed his helmet and two crimson eyes met her plain brown ones. They widened and her mouth hung open a little.  _ It can’t be.  _

 

“You okay? You really should be paying attention when crossing the street.” 

 

He tucked his helmet into the crook of his arm and gave her a questioning look.  _ It just can’t be.  _

 

“Hello?”

 

He waved his hand in front of her face. No response except a slight tightening of her throat. 

 

“Uh….”

 

_ I have to be dreaming. This must be a dream.  _ She thought. It was highly possible. She had dreamt of him earlier. The person standing before her was  _ Zen _ . Or at least _he looked like him._ She finally managed to choke out something. 

 

“You’re…..real….?” 


	2. Must Be Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia is convinced this is all a dream. Zen just wants to find MC or at least get to know her. The two talk in a cafe before heading back to Mia's apartment...

“You’re…..real….?” 

 

Zen, or the person who looked like him, blinked and then chuckled. 

 

“Last time I checked, yes. I am 100% real.” 

 

She closed her eyes and furrowed her brows.  _ This has  _ **_got_ ** _ to be a dream.  _ She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. 

 

“You’re….you’re Zen….right?” 

 

His eyes widened and he became excited. 

 

“You know me? Are you a fan?” 

 

_ Something like that….  _ She thought. 

 

“Um….sort of...I mean...I know who you are. But….this is impossible. You’re fictional. This can only be a dream. It has to be dream.” 

 

Zen gave an exasperated laugh. 

 

“Fictional? I can’t be fictional. I may be perfect but I know I’m definitely real. If I wasn’t, would I be standing here in front of you?” 

 

This time it was Mia who sighed. 

 

“That’s why I said it’s a dream. Anything can happen in dreams and meeting my favorite character from a game is one of those things.” 

 

“Your favorite? I’m your favorite?” 

 

He smirked and bent down slightly to put his face close to hers. 

 

“I’m extremely flattered. A cute girl like you being my fan? It must be my lucky day.” 

 

Her cheeks started to flush and she grumbled a bit before speaking again.

 

“I’m not cute and I’m definitely dreaming. I’ll just have to wake myself up.” 

 

“And how are you going to do that?” 

 

“I….I don’t know. Maybe I could just….let it play out then.” 

 

She sighed and looked at him. If Zen was in her dream, she might as well enjoy it no matter how bizarre it turned out to be. 

 

“Actually….” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“Could you help me? I’m actually looking for someone and I’m not sure how to find them. Do you by any chance...know someone named….MC?” 

 

Mia couldn’t help but laugh a little. 

 

“MC? I know a lot of people named MC.” 

 

“Is that name so common here? I had no idea…”

 

“Any girl could be MC. Like I said, this is a dream and you are a fictional character in a game. MC is also a fictional character in that game. She’s like….a self-insert. Her name could actually be whatever you want it to be.” 

 

“And your name?” 

 

“Mia.” 

 

“Last name?”

 

“Cee.” 

 

“MC. That’s you?”

 

“Well...my initials yes...but….”

 

“You’re MC. You’re the girl I’m looking for.” 

 

There was a loud siren and they both covered their ears as it passed. She screamed over the siren to him. 

 

“I’m not MC! Just….c’mon!” 

 

She pointed to his motorcycle and gave him a signal telling him she’d tell him where to go. He understood and hopped on, giving her the helmet to wear and when the siren dissipated, she still screamed to him over the roaring of the bike. Her directions took them to a cafe near the university campus. 

 

They both got off the bike and walked inside. 

 

Mia greeted the barista in a familiar way which Zen figured meant that she knew the person working behind the counter. 

 

“Friend of yours?” he asked. 

 

“I work here part-time. That’s Jade. She’s my best friend.” 

 

She looked over at Jade who gave her a look that said,  _ Who is that?!  _ Referring to Zen’s handsome aura. Mia just rolled her eyes and mouthed, _ I’ll tell you later.  _

 

“So you’re a coffee girl? Very cute.” Zen mused. 

 

“Hey, don’t try to butter me up or anything. I have to explain things to you. This is serious.” 

 

They sat at a table in the back of the cafe and she spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper. 

 

“Okay, seeing as Jade can see you, I guess this _ isn’t  _ a dream. I’m still convinced something is up though…” 

 

She started thinking and was silent a moment. How could something like this happen? How could other people see him if he was definitely fictional? She must have hit her head or this dream she was having was extremely detailed and even the people couldn’t tell it was a dream.  _ But what if it is real?  _ Mia stopped thinking a bit to look at him. Zen was using the camera on his phone to take a selfie. 

 

“You really are a selfie freak….”

 

“I can’t help it that I’m so handsome.” he said without looking at her. 

 

She huffed, one because he was right and two because it was starting to become abundantly obvious that whatever this situation was, was going to be hard to handle. 

 

“Do you remember anything before pulling me out of the street?”

 

He took a few more pictures before putting his phone down and thought. 

 

“Hmm….well….come to think of it, I don’t really. All I remember is driving down the street on my bike and then I saw you and pulled you out of the way of that car.” 

 

_ Then he’s definitely appeared out of thin air.  _ She thought. 

 

“Okay, since you’ve just randomly appeared, I’m going to try and figure out how to get you back into the game.” 

 

“This game you keep mentioning, why don’t you tell me about it? Maybe that will jog my memory.” 

 

She took a deep breath and told him. Explained everything. It was a game, he was a character in it and he was just one of the routes the player could take. She even told him about MC and how she could change in an instant depending on who the player wanted her to choose in the end. 

 

“So...you’re saying….that…?”

 

Mia looked at him, waiting for the rest of his question. 

 

“That there are people who choose that jerk over me?!” 

 

She gave him an exasperated sigh.

“Yeah well...believe it or not, there are a lot of people who like Jumin as a character. Like….A LOT of people.” 

 

“You haven’t done his route have you?” 

 

“I’ve done all the routes at least once.” 

 

“Were you playing it when I pulled you from the street?” 

 

She chuckled nervously. 

 

“Um….yeah well….”

 

“Please tell me you were at least playing someone else’s route and not that stupid trust fund kid’s….” 

 

“For your information, I was playing the route I play most often. And it’s not Jumin’s.” 

 

It clicked in Zen’s head then and a big smile erupted onto his face. She looked at him and instantly realized her mistake. 

 

“You mentioned I was your favorite character.” he said smugly. 

 

“So?” 

 

“So….I think you were chatting with me and getting distracted by just how charming and handsome I am.” 

 

Zen stopped himself and then looked at her seriously. 

 

“But you know...you really should be more careful. You could have been seriously injured or killed. You have to pay attention when crossing the street.” 

 

Her embarrassed expression slowly transitioned into one of shame and disappointment. 

 

“I know. I’m easily distracted. But….games like those….make me feel wanted.” 

 

He cocked his head at her and gave her a questioning look. 

 

“Wanted? You don’t feel wanted?” 

 

She shook her head. 

 

“It’s nothing. Just….don’t worry about it.” 

 

She took her phone out to check the time as well as the game on her phone. 

 

“....9:30….I missed my class. But that’s okay….hm…” 

 

“I’m sorry you missed it. What else are you doing on your phone?” 

 

She waved his apology off with her hand, not really caring that she had missed class.

 

“I’m checking to see if my game is messed up or something. Like...if it’s bugged or code is missing or something. Just some form of evidence to show me you’re missing from it….” 

 

Zen nodded and watched as she silently worked on her phone. Her face was twisted in focus but he noticed how quickly her dark chocolate yes darted all over the screen. Even behind the large frames of her glasses he could see that her eyes hid so much under the surface. She had a round face and he noted that she had slight blemishes here and there but things someone couldn’t control were never things he based attraction on anyway. She was wearing her hair in a high ponytail and her hair was pulled back further with a headband over it. The color was a dark brown and he could see hints of purple near the ends which meant she probably dyed parts of it to whatever color she liked. She wore a baggy sweatshirt and her nails were painted a soft shade of lavender. She wore no makeup, but Zen had always thought girls were a lot prettier without it and she was no exception. The apples of her cheeks were still slightly pink from her embarrassment earlier and her nostrils flared every so often which he thought was cute. Her tongue stuck out slightly as she started to grunt in frustration. 

 

“Nothing. Nothing is wrong with this game…” 

 

“Really? Let me see.” 

 

He reached for her phone and she let him take it, sighing and putting her face in her hands after removing her glasses in defeat. 

 

Zen poked around in the game a bit and chuckled at just how accurate everything was. He pressed the home button on her phone to see that the background image was of him. 

 

“You must  _ really _ like me to have this lovely photo of me on your phone.” he mused. 

 

She let out a slight gasp and snatched the phone from him before he went poking around in other places. 

 

“So what if I do? You’re just a fictional character.” 

 

“You keep saying that, yet here I am. In the flesh.” 

 

She huffed. 

 

“Look, no matter how I feel about you, I have to get you back into the game. I’m sure somewhere….in someone else’s game or just...in the coding….or something….you’re needed there and if you’re not...then you can’t see any of the others or MC again…” 

 

Zen smiled a bit at the mention of MC. 

 

“Tell me about her.” 

 

“About who?” 

 

“MC. The one everyone plays as. The girl I’m looking for. The one who makes my heart skip a beat.” 

 

“Why should I tell you that?” 

 

“I’m curious. And who better to tell me than another MC?” 

 

Mia sighed. 

 

“Then let’s go back to my apartment. Since I missed my only class today, I can at least go home and relax for a bit.” 

 

He nodded and they both stood up to leave. Mia got Jade’s attention and waved her phone up to tell her to call her later. They exited and hopped back onto Zen’s motorcycle and back to the street they had first met on. He drove slow as they approached so she could point him in the right direction. When they parked in front of the apartment, Mia got off and opened the large gate that separated the atrium from the street. She held the door open for him and he followed her. The atrium was small but had a large weeping willow tree in the middle and a small decorative fountain that small birds were bathing in. A nice bench sat beneath the tree. 

 

They made their way up the stairs to the third floor where she lived. She unlocked the door and invited him inside. 

 

It was a very small apartment. The kitchen, dining nook, and living room seemed like one large room and Mia’s bedroom was down a small hallway across from the small bathroom. A closet was also at the end of the hallway and she opened it to toss her backpack inside. 

 

“Make yourself at home. Sorry it’s so small. This shitty place is the cheapest I could get near the university.” 

 

“I like it. I don’t think it’s shitty. It’s homey.” 

 

She sat down on the small loveseat and propped her feet up beside her so she was sitting on her side. Zen sat in the armchair next to it. 

 

There was silence for a few moments as the two of them got used to sitting there, alone together. 

 

Mia broke the silence. 

 

“Um...so, you wanted to know about MC?” 

 

His eyes lit up and he leaned forward on the arm of the chair in excitement. 

 

“Yes. I want to know everything.” 

  
She stared at him for a few seconds before speaking. She thought maybe if she told him everything it could get him back to where he belonged. Even if he was real, why would he ever need to hear anything but information from a girl like her? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing Chapter 3 as I post this one so it could very well be posted sometime after this one. Hope you all enjoy! ^^


	3. The Truth About Some Things....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zen starts to learn about his route inside the game while Mia tries not to show just how much she already cares for him.

She started slowly. From the beginning. 

 

“Do you want to know about your route with her? Like….every detail?” 

 

He smiled at her and her heart jumped a bit. She hoped she could fake it as best as people in fanfiction described feigning that kind of feeling in real life. 

 

“However you choose. It would be nice to hear what our relationship is like.” 

 

Mia shifted her position on the loveseat and sat like a pretzel, facing him. Her hands were almost hidden beneath the baggy sleeves of her sweatshirt, but she silently thanked whoever gave it to her because she didn’t want Zen to see her fidgeting. 

 

“Well….the game starts out the same. MC’s phone gets hacked and she’s led to Rika’s apartment. She’s signed in on the RFA messenger app and within eleven days, she’s going to fall in love with someone within the group.” 

 

“So it only takes eleven days?” 

 

“Yeah...everyone’s route has a different storyline, but certain events always happen regardless of the timeline.” 

 

“So, how does mine go?” 

 

She took a small breath. A part of her wanted to just stop telling him. It felt like she was revealing someone’s future to them and she didn’t like how that tasted in her mouth. It felt wrong. It felt pointless. It felt like she was betraying someone. Herself. If this was indeed reality, why wouldn’t she just tell him everything? About how she wished so badly that someone like him could really exist? How she hoped one day she’d meet someone like him who would give her a chance? About how she questioned how someone like him could love a person like her? But the other part of her didn’t want to betray him either. She didn’t want to compromise her feelings for someone who wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.  _ He was supposed to be with MC, not Mia Cee.  _

 

She started to speak slowly as she thought about his route.

 

“Every route branches at the end of day four. In your route MC can flirt back with you and give you encouragement and reassurance and eventually you start to feel a lot better whenever you speak to her. She’s kind and gentle and a good person. She cares a lot for you.” 

 

“And I care for her a lot too. I know that for sure.” 

 

She smiled, reminiscing about all the sweet things he said throughout his route about her, or rather, about MC. 

 

“Yeah...you really do. Honestly...you care about her regardless of the route. Whether or not it’s romantic...you’re always so very sweet.” 

 

Mia felt her cheeks start to redden when she realized just how much his behavior affected her and with him sitting there across from her, she couldn’t let him see just how deep her feelings really were. She cleared her throat and continued. 

 

“Um...let’s see… On the fifth day, the first real day of your route, you get a new role. It’s a pretty big deal and you get to perform onstage with a celebrity. Someone named Echo Girl. She’s a famous singer but you’ve never heard of her. Seven and Yoosung seem pretty excited about it though and they want you to get her autograph for them.” 

 

A pleased hum erupted in his throat and he chuckled. 

 

“Those two, I swear I don’t know what I’ll do with them sometimes. Yoosung is just like a little brother to me and Seven….he’s just….”

 

“Complicated.” 

 

“Exactly. But he means well. They all do. Everyone in the RFA is like family to me.” 

 

She took this slight break in the conversation to stand up and offer him a drink. 

 

“You thirsty?” 

 

“Sure. What do you have?” 

 

She thought a moment. 

 

“Hm….not sure, actually. Follow me and we can find out.” 

 

He stood and followed her to the kitchen, her ponytail slightly swaying back and forth as she walked. He noticed the color in her hair again. 

 

“Did you dye your hair yourself?” 

 

“Oh...um….no, I got it done. I have a friend who’s a hairdresser. She’s really good at it. I get a discount because I make coffee. Just got this done a few days ago. Purple is my favorite color.” 

 

Zen made a quick note of that in the back of his head. For some reason he felt the need to commit every detail about her to memory. When she opened the fridge he laughed. 

 

“You must be joking.” 

 

She looked inside and furrowed her brows in confusion. 

 

“What?” 

 

“You have Dr. Pepper in there. Are you sure I’m your favorite character in this game?”

 

“Huh? Oh, because Seven….oh my God, that is….you’re being silly.” 

 

She rummaged around and pulled out a bottle of wine. 

 

“This better?” 

 

“Jumin is the wine drinker.” 

 

She scoffed playfully and crossed her arms, leaning against the counter and giving him a look. 

 

“Just because you’re my favorite character doesn’t mean I have to like everything you like. Being the same is boring. There’s beer in there. Look for yourself.” 

 

He leaned down and pulled out a six pack. 

 

“I’m surprised you have any in here.” he teased. 

 

“Honestly, the soda and wine are for me. The beer is for when I have friends over. It doesn’t happen often but…..Jade seems to like it when she visits. But help yourself.” 

 

He opened a can and took a sip before taking a few bigger ones. Mia popped open a soda can and drank some. They stood there for a few moments just enjoying the tastes in their mouths and the soft hum of the fridge. 

 

“So what happens next?” 

 

“Um….not sure. I mean….we have to get you back into the game somehow...I doubt contacting the developers would help. Until then….I guess….you could stay here…”

 

He chuckled. 

 

“Thank you for the offer. But uh...what I meant was story-wise….” 

 

Her cheeks started to burn and she quickly put the can to her mouth to pretend she was thinking for a moment before speaking. 

 

“Oh. Well...um….okay….uh….where was I?” 

 

She started to distract herself with doing little things like moving stuff or taking sips from her can while she spoke, to make it seem as if she was doing natural movements when she was really trying not to show how embarrassed she was for even saying that out loud. Zen sat back down, seemingly unaware of her embarrassment and he patiently waited to hear the rest of his story unfold. 

 

“So….the next few days just kind of happen. Everyone interacts with each other and MC. It isn’t until the fifth day that things really begin….like I said before.” 

 

Mia fiddled with knick-knacks that were scattered throughout the living room and she put the can down to open and close a small egg shaped porcelain box over and over as she continued. 

 

“On the sixth day…..you work yourself too hard.” 

 

She looked over at him and saw the downcast look on his face. 

 

“Do I get hurt?” 

 

She nodded. 

 

“Yeah. You hurt your ankle and have to wear a cast. MC worries about you pretty fervently. So does Jaehee.” 

 

“Jaehee…..really is my fan, huh?” 

 

“Yeah. She’s very protective of your career. She cares a lot about you. MC wants to get closer to you during this time. Get to know you a lot better. You feel the same. Jaehee...seems jealous but is just trying to look out for your career. She knows that a scandal could possibly damage it. MC sort of...questions her intentions and vice versa. Jaehee doesn’t trust MC fully at this point...considering how she just appears into the chatroom. But, it works out between them. Jaehee is just cautious. She wants you to keep performing, that’s all.” 

 

“It’s nice to know so many people care.” 

 

Mia smiled and set the small egg she was playing with down. 

 

“Yeah…..the players….we care too. Even if it’s just a game.” 

 

He looked at her and saw her gazing down at the porcelain egg. 

 

“What’s that?” 

 

She picked it back up and opened it to reveal nothing but a small old piece of a sponge inside.

 

“It’s the egg my mom’s engagement ring was in when my dad proposed to her. I know the sponge is kind of weird, but that’s how the ring stayed inside without rattling around. After a few years, my mom stopped taking her ring off to sleep or shower so this box just kind of sat around. I asked if I could have it and she said yes.” 

 

“It must be very special to you. It is a beautiful box.” 

 

“Yeah. The story is kind of cute too. They were in the car. My dad was driving and they were at a stoplight. He said ‘Hold onto this for me.’ and handed it to her. She knew what it was once she saw it. They had been talking and planning on getting married, he just needed to propose. And six months after that, they were married. I always…..asked why they were engaged for such a short time and my mom just told me that they just wanted to be together. And two years after that, I came along. And the rest….”

 

She trailed off at the end but he noticed the whole time she spoke of her parents, a huge smile was on her face. He hoped she smiled like that often. He hoped that there was someone who made her smile like that somewhere. There was a feeling inside of him that wanted her to be happy, because she was helping him and because he thought she was a good person. 

 

“Anyway….um….I think I’m going to make lunch now...I can tell you more afterward.” 

 

Zen stood up and smiled. 

 

“I’ll help you. I did just appear out of nowhere. And to take you up on your offer earlier, I thank you kindly for inviting me to stay here while you help me. It’s only fair I help you with anything you need.” 

  
There was a soft blush on his cheeks and she couldn’t help but internally squee at how cute he was. With him actually in front of her, it felt like she got to see something no one else could. But then, how fair was it to someone else that she got Zen and they didn’t? How fair was it to the person truly meant for him? Even if MC was a fictional character, Zen wasn’t Mia’s and he could never and would never be. She had to push her romantic feelings and want and everything aside to get him back where he belonged. 

 

“That’s very kind of you. Um….but I do have to wonder…” 

“What is it? Too much of my handsome face in one day?” 

She laughed a little. 

“No. I was wondering….while I’m either working or going to class...what will you do?” 

“That is a problem…..I don’t have a job here like I do back home….hm…”

He then dramatically gasped and put his hand over his heart. 

“WHAT WILL I EVER DO NOW?! HOW WILL I SURVIVE WITHOUT ACTING?”

Mia suddenly got an idea and quickly got her phone, furiously finding what she needed. 

Zen was posed dramatically on the chair and looked over to see if she was paying attention. He let out a little whimper for attention. She held her hand up at him asking him to wait. 

“Hold on...just….” 

She took a few seconds before looking up at him from her phone. He quickly went back to his frozen pose. 

“Really?” 

“I’m trying to show you just how great my skills are.” 

She puffed her cheeks out in a frustrated sigh. 

“I think I found you a job. It doesn’t pay much but….it is an acting role.” 

Zen almost jumped up out of the chair and scurried over to her to see. She had been chatting with someone in a messenger. 

“Really?! How did you? Where is it?” 

She laughed and held her phone up so he wouldn’t take it. 

“Slow down there! Let me explain. I used to do a lot of theater in middle school and high school. I haven’t been in a show in a few years but I still know a lot of people in the community here. I have a friend who needs a new lead and I just remembered it. I asked him if he still needed someone and he said yes and luckily he takes my recommendations to heart since I’ve directed shows before. It won’t pay much, but it’ll give you something to do while you’re here.” 

His eyes lit up in a way she hadn’t seen in anyone before. A smile continued to grow on his face as he wrapped his arms around her in a giant grateful hug. She could feel her cheeks and the tops of her ears turn red. Her heart was almost bursting out of her chest and she silently hoped and prayed that he couldn’t feel it. He muttered words of thanks into her shoulder and she hugged him back so she wouldn’t start trembling. She wanted to scream in delight, she wanted to cry out of sheer happiness, she wanted to remember this moment for the rest of her life. She was hugging Zen, no,  _ Zen was hugging her.  _

She felt selfish to want to hug him longer than needed so when he pulled away she tried not to whine or show any sense of pouting. 

“So you’re a theater girl, are you?” 

“Um...I used to be. The last thing I did was direct a show but that was last year. I decided to focus more on school because I want to graduate at some point. But...for a long time….it was my life. I made so many friends and I….well….I don’t have to get into those details.” 

He raised a brow at her. 

“You what?....fell in love?...was it someone? Did you? Who was this lucky man?” 

Mia shook her head. 

“It wasn’t anything like that. I mean….I wanted it to be but….nothing ever happened. And he was a lucky guy. He um….he was just….a good friend to me. That’s all.” 

Zen could sense she didn’t want to talk about this, but he was curious to know this about her life. He never thought for a second that she didn’t have someone special but with the way she spoke about herself it seemed as though she was just as single as he was. He wanted to help her since she was helping him. 

“Well….I’ll get the truth out of you soon. How about that lunch now?” 

He winked at her and she chuckled a little, Zen noticing the slight blush on her cheeks as she quickly turned away from him. They went back into the kitchen and pulled out ingredients for their lunch, chatting here and there in between her looking up just the right recipe. 

  
This was only the beginning of fate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to make chapters longer from here on out. I had sort of an outline planned but I'm going to tweak it as I see fit while I write. Hope you all enjoy what happens! :) 
> 
> And the proposal story in this chapter? That's my parents actual proposal story. The egg is real too. I thought it would be cute to add it here. :) 
> 
> Also, sorry for not updating sooner like I had previously mentioned in the last chapter. I got carried away with other things but anyway, here's chapter 3!


	4. Familiar Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia and Zen look at the stars together. Sound familiar?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter all! I wanted to update this fic because my good friend loves this one so much. I had fun writing it. And yes, the things discussed in this chapter really happened. I didn't change the names because who cares? They won't read this anyway and I'm not embarrassed to write them down. They make a good story and an interesting character. I'll see ya'll when I update next time!

A few days had passed since meeting Zen and Mia had gotten into a nice feel of things with him around. He hung around her apartment during the day and rehearsed at night. She had gone with him to the first few rehearsals to help him understand how the process worked with her particular friends and their company. Zen wanted more rehearsal time but he was such a pro that he took direction well and was loving the role he had. He also helped keep her apartment clean while she was in class. Today, she came home for lunch and Zen had been cooking for the both of them. 

 

Mia was humming when she came in, a bounce in her step and a growl in her stomach. There was something different about today, she could feel it. She called out to him when she opened the door and he greeted her warmly. 

 

“Welcome home! Hungry? I made us something to eat.” 

 

She nodded and smiled in great thanks, “Yes, I’m starving. I don’t have another class today so I can actually eat food from home today.” 

 

He set out food on her little counter and they ate standing together in the middle of the kitchen. She almost wolfed down the whole plate before slowing down to enjoy it. Zen thought it was cute. 

 

“You’re cute when you make that face.” he said. 

 

A shiver went up her spine and Mia immediately shook her head, “I’m really not….but thanks…” 

 

“Of course you are! You’re very cute.” 

 

She shook her head again, “I just...people just don’t say that about me. It’s not something I hear very often.” 

 

“Are you serious?” 

 

Mia nodded, clearly a little embarrassed. 

 

Zen sighed, “Well...you are. You can take what I say with a grain of salt, but it’s true. You’re cute. I wouldn’t lie about something like that. Okay?” 

 

“....okay.” 

 

“You should be more confident in yourself, y’know?” 

 

“....I try. I really do. I just….I always feel like I need validation.” 

 

“Then consider what I’m saying validation.” 

 

She looked up at him and saw the serious look in his eyes. Seeing that he truly meant it all made her heart want to burst. She wanted to scream. This person who she considered so beautiful was saying that she was cute.  _ He thinks I’m cute.  _ She wasn’t sure what to do next so she just bit her lip and thanked him, which made her look even more cute in Zen’s eyes. 

 

“Um...well...thanks for making lunch…” 

 

“Can I ask you something?” 

 

“Uh….sure.” 

 

“I don’t want to intrude on anything but….the other day...when I mentioned you possibly being in love...it seemed to bother you. I’m just...curious….since you seem so open about things…” 

 

He watched as she looked down, thinking about what to say. He knew it probably bothered her, but he could tell she was someone who probably wouldn’t be opposed to talking about something like that. Curiosity got the better of him, especially with someone who knew so much about him. 

 

“....I...can tell you all that later….I promise I will….because...I feel like I can talk to you. I really think I can tell you anything, Zen. The….developers really created a realistic character with you.” 

 

“Really?....you think so?” 

 

She nodded, “Yeah.” 

 

He bit his lip a little, “....it feels a bit….strange. I know I’m...just made up….I guess but...I feel alive. I know I’m alive...you know I am….”

 

“Oh...I’m sorry….I keep saying things like that….I know I shouldn’t. I’m just...trying to figure everything out….”

 

He put his hand on her shoulder, “It’s okay, I was just feeling….strange. But, I’m fine. As long as I continue to be your favorite.” 

 

A smile graced her lips and she shrugged, “Of course.” 

 

Zen went to sit down in the chair he had claimed as his and opened his script. 

 

“Do you think you could help me practice lines?” 

 

“Yeah….I’ll help until I have work. I’ll be back around 9 so we can….talk about things then.” 

 

Mia sat down on the loveseat with her food and took the script from him. For about an hour she read his cue lines and he recited his back to her with perfect ease. He was definitely a natural performer. She closed the script after they were done and took her empty plate back to the sink. 

 

“You’re already memorized and it’s only been a few days….I haven’t met an actor like that in a while.” 

 

“Well, when I get a role, I practice until I can’t anymore.” Zen replied. 

 

She re-entered the room and stretched. Slowly, she made her way towards her bedroom. She poked her head out after entering it. 

 

“I’m gonna take a shower before I go to work. I guess I’ll meet you later tonight.” 

 

He nodded and looked over the script again. She disappeared into her room and presumably the bathroom. Zen heard the door shut and the water turn on. After a few minutes, he checked the time and realized he was going to have to leave for rehearsal. Not wanting to just disappear, he decided to knock on the door and tell her he was leaving. When he opened her bedroom door he looked around. Even though he had been basically living here for almost a week, he had never looked around her room. It was the gateway to the bathroom, but he never snooped on her things when she wasn’t home. It really reflected her personality. There were pictures of famous musicians and bands scattered all over. Her desk had pictures of her with three people, who he assumed was her family. There was one of her in a blue bird costume. He smiled, seeing that she kept at least something from when she used to act herself. There were medals with her name engraved on them and the words “All-Star Cast” on them. Clearly, she knew what she was talking about when it came to acting. It made his cheeks redden, knowing he was definitely in the presence of a kindred spirit. Various papers littered the desk too, as well as her laptop. Smaller photos of random people in strange dress told him that these were probably some of her favorite characters from various pieces of media. There was even a picture of him. He inspected it closely and grinned. 

 

“Nice photo of me…”

 

It was then he heard it. Singing. Singing in the distance. No, _ singing coming from the bathroom. _ Mia was singing in the shower. Zen chuckled a little.  _ She is so cute.  _ He thought. Her voice was beautiful. It echoed through the door. The tempo of the song was upbeat, but the lyrics were sad and somber. The word  _ bittersweet  _ kept being repeated. Zen thought the song was nice, but he didn’t understand why it would be one she could sing so happily. But when he thought about it, it sounded like a song he could enjoy too. He lightly knocked on the door, which stopped the singing immediately. 

 

“Yes…?” 

 

“Sorry...I just...I needed to tell you I’m leaving. I’ll be back later.” 

 

“Uh...yeah, thanks. I’ll see you when you come back. Have a good rehearsal.” 

 

He could tell she was a bit embarrassed, so he started to leave the room. A few moments later, her singing started back up again. As he made his way out the door and onto his bike. Her voice continued to run through his head as he rode to rehearsal. Even during the rehearsal, her voice was constantly inside his brain.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, Mia walked back to the apartment complex from work. Jade had offered her a ride, but she declined, wanting to get exercise. She had thought about a lot of different things during her shift. She thought about Zen. She thought about him hearing her sing in the shower. She thought about how much fun they were having because he was there. She didn’t want him to leave. Or at least...she didn’t want him to leave so soon. It just so happened that as she walked, Zen pulled up next to her on his bike. She stopped walking and turned to look at him. He stopped and took his helmet off. 

 

“You need a ride, pretty lady?” 

 

She stuck her tongue out at him, “Shut up and give me a ride, dork.” 

 

He chuckled, “I’m just saying the truth. Hop on.” 

 

Mia got on the bike and they went home together. He drove slowly since she didn’t have a helmet and she enjoyed watching the scenery pass by. When they got to the apartment, the sun had already set and the stars were coming out. She looked up at the sky and after opening the gate to the complex, made her way to the bench under the willow tree. There was just enough moonlight to light the fountain and illuminate the courtyard that wasn’t shaded by the tree. Zen sat next to her. 

 

“You don’t want to go up yet?” 

 

She shook her head, still looking up, “No way. Not when the sky looks like this tonight.” 

 

Zen looked up too and smiled, “I do this a lot actually….stargazing…” 

 

“I know.” 

 

“Do you? Is that what happens?” 

 

“Something like that…” 

 

“Tell me.” 

 

Even though she didn’t want to talk about it right now, she did anyway. It had been days since she last told him what happened and she knew he wasn’t trying to pry. 

 

She sighed, looking at him instead of the stars, “She comes to visit you on Day 7. And you gaze at the stars from the rooftop of your home.” 

 

The look in his eyes was one of bewilderment. He couldn’t believe that MC was even allowed to come see him. 

 

“What do we talk about?” 

 

“Your past. You talk about your family….I know you’ve never told anyone before.” 

 

He was silent a few moments, contemplating things. She was right. He had never told anyone about his family before. Clearly, anyone who played the game knew. But it was different for him. Actually saying it was extremely difficult. 

 

Mia spoke again, “I know what it’s like...to keep stuff like that hidden.” 

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

She shook her head, “It’s not important….” 

 

“Sure it is. You can tell me.” 

 

Her gaze went back to him and in that moment she knew he could definitely be trusted. She looked back up at the sky. A parallel image to this moment within the game except this time it was a player confessing her deepest secrets to Zen.

 

“I’m so….insecure….because of different reasons. When I started acting, I...I did fall in love with someone. You were right in guessing. His name was Erik. He was the first guy I ever decided to like. I thought he was cute. He was nice to me and was one of the first guys that ever treated me like a friend. He was older than me and there was another girl in our play that all the guys always liked. She was my friend too. It wasn’t until I decided to help him figure out if that girl liked him that I knew how I felt. He didn’t love me back but….I thought if I showed him how much I cared he would maybe see me...but reality doesn’t work that way. I loved him for like….7 years before I realized he wouldn’t ever feel that way about me. I blamed a lot of it on how I looked.” 

 

Zen watched as she searched for her words and the look in her eyes told him she was trying not to cry the whole time. He felt so trusted with this information. It would remain in his heart forever. A girl like her was honestly a dime a dozen. She was so honest. He liked that. 

 

“But of course….that’s not all there is about my sad and pathetic love life. I um….I tried to use like...dating apps and things like that and they never worked for me….until I met Ryan. He was...the first guy on one of the apps that reached out to me and talked to me. He was nice. Not usually my type but...he seemed genuinely interested. And it turned out he lived near here...so I met up with him and we….hit it off pretty well. I...I actually lost my virginity to him. Um...it was really embarrassing...I cried...because it hurt...and he was kind of mean about it. But….I kept going back to him. We slept together a few more times before he met someone else. He stopped talking to me after that. And last I heard...he got his girlfriend pregnant so...um..I..I mean...I wasn’t in love with him but...he was willing to sleep with me...and never said anything about my body, good or bad. He was my first kiss. I don’t regret losing my virginity because I wanted to get it over with but...I do regret losing it to him. He...didn’t care about me. He just wanted sex. And he was nice enough for me to want to. Anyway...after that….is when I started playing Mystic Messenger. I had played other otome games before but….this one….really affected me. And if I’m going to be honest, your route affected me the most…..um…” 

 

She looked really embarrassed and he just listened. He held out his hand to her and uttered words she had only read him say. Now he was actually saying it.  _ To her. _

 

“Can I hold your hand?” 

 

She turned to him, cheeks flushed and her lips in an embarrassed smile, “Yeah….that would...be nice.” 

 

He took her hand in his and squeezed it. 

 

They stood like that in silence for a while. She was too nervous and embarrassed to do anything else. Zen looked at her and spoke. 

 

“Y’know...I...really appreciate you telling me all that. I know it...wasn’t easy. But I’m glad you feel comfortable around me enough to say them. You might ignore what I have to say but...you deserve so much better than that. All the things you said...those guys...they don’t know what they’ve missed with you. It might sound cliche coming from me….considering my personality but….you’re a beautiful girl….and you definitely deserve someone who can appreciate the things you are.” 

 

He saw a tear run down her cheek and he wiped it away. 

 

“Don’t cry….please don’t….” 

 

She let out an awkward chuckle, “....I had always thought you’d say something like that. It does sound cliche but….it’s nice to hear it. Thank you.” 

 

Mia took a deep breath and turned to him, wiping her eyes of traces of all tears. Zen squeezed her hand again and gently kissed it before letting go, “You have a friend. I’ll always be here. Even when I eventually go back….you can always find me.” 

 

“I know. Thanks for saying that….um….I’m gonna go get ready for bed...I’m tired. Thanks for listening….and for spending time out here with me. It means a lot.” 

 

He shrugged, “Of course. I’m a knight in shining armor here to rescue any princess from danger. Including you.” 

 

“Well, this princess needs her sleep. I have an essay due tomorrow night so I’m gonna be working on it all day.” 

 

He watched her go up to the apartment and shut the door, knowing it would still be unlocked when he made his way up. His eyes went from the door back to the sky full of stars. In his heart he knew these were the same stars he’d seen before. Even if he knew he was just a person in a game, a bunch of numbers, those stars were the same and they were real. Just like Mia. She was real enough to pull him into her world somehow. 

  
In that moment, Zen wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the rest of the story if she wasn’t included in it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Mia is singing in the shower is "Bittersweet" by Panic! At The Disco. Listen to it! It's a great song. (They're my favorite band).

**Author's Note:**

> I have a headcanon English voice for Zen. Here's the video link for what I think is the best representation of what his voice would sound like in English. Just imagine this voice whenever you read the dialogue. I love his Korean voice obviously, but seeing as it's a fanfiction and I don't speak Korean, we'll pretend the Zen in the fic is speaking in English. :) check out this comic dub actor's other videos! He also does a lot of Miraculous comic dubs too. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q54-o3NUeIU


End file.
